California Governor signs 33% Renewables Commitment and Hints at More

On the 12th April , Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 2 (First Extraordinary Session) which extends the current 20% renewables portfolio standard target in 2010 to a 33% renewables portfolio standard by December 31, 2020.

In his statement Governor brown said "This bill will bring many important benefits to California, including stimulating investment in green technologies in the state, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, improving local air quality, promoting energy independence, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will ensure that California maintains its long-standing leadership in renewables and clean energy"

But he dropped a big hint at further increases in renewable targets at the same time :

"While reaching a 33% renewables portfolio standard will be an important milestone, it is really just a starting point - a floor, not a ceiling. Our state has enormous renewable resource potential. I would like to see us pursue even more far-reaching targets. With the amount of renewable resources coming on-line, and prices dropping, I think 40%,at reasonable cost, is well within our grasp in the near future" and he indicated that he wanted potential problems sorted quickly.

"The bill contains some provisions that will create implementation difficulties or

inefficiencies, particularly for regulatory agencies charged with the bill’s implementation. These provisions should be amended quickly. Therefore, while I am signing this bill today, I ask the Legislature to immediately begin work on additional legislation to correct these problems"

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am signing Senate Bill 2 (First Extraordinary Session) which will extend the current

This bill will bring many important benefits to California, including stimulating

investment in green technologies in the state, creating tens of thousands of new jobs,

improving local air quality, promoting energy independence, and reducing greenhouse

gas emissions. It will ensure that California maintains its long-standing leadership in

renewables and clean energy.

While reaching a 33% renewables portfolio standard will be an important milestone, it is

really just a starting point - a floor, not a ceiling. Our state has enormous renewable

resource potential. I would like to see us pursue even more far-reaching targets. With

the amount of renewable resources coming on-line, and prices dropping, I think 40%, at

reasonable cost, is well within our grasp in the near future.

The bill contains some provisions that will create implementation difficulties or

inefficiencies, particularly for regulatory agencies charged with the bill’s implementation.

These provisions should be amended quickly. Therefore, while I am signing this bill

today, I ask the Legislature to immediately begin work on additional legislation to correct

these problems

California currently requires California utilities to derive 20 percent of their electricity sources from renewable sources by the end of 2010. The utilities failed to make this standard, with Pacific Gas & Electric reaching 17.7 % and Southern California Edison just missing the target at 19.4 %

In 2009 former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation to raise the renewable requirement to 33 percent by 2020, but then issued an executive order instructing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to make the same increase.

Peter Miller, senior scientist with the NRDC, said in a statement at the time the California legislators approved the bill . “As a result of the RPS program, renewable energy generation in California in 2020 will be roughly equal to total current U.S. renewable generation, and supply enough clean energy to power nearly 9 million homes.”

Miller said the RPS and other clean energy programs will generate more than 500,000 new jobs and result in billions of dollars being invested in renewable energy.

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